Automobile door handle safety device



Jan. 9, 1951 H. K. TRAVIS 2,537,380

AUTOMOBILE DOOR HANDLE SAFETY DEVICE Filed NOV. 21, 1947 Inventor Ham/d K. Travis @maoih aawgg Patented Jan. 9,

AUTOMOBILE DOORjHANDLE SAFETY,

DEVICE V 7 Harold K. arm's, mam."

Application'November 21, 1947, Serial No. #87302 The present invention relates'to automotive accessories and equivalent attachments, andhas more specific. reference to an attachment for use on the inside of automobile doors, said attachment serving to coact with the door handle to prevent accidental operation of same.

It is a matter of common knowledge that door handles are often accidentally depressed by occupants of an automobile when the latter is in motion, and as a result, accidents of a serious nature develop. What is more, young children rid-' ing in automobiles often lean against and push door handles to opening positions, whereupon the door is unlatched and swings open, and disastrous results are thus brought about.

It is evident from the foregoing description that I am aware that the art to which the invention relates, shows that it is old to provide safety-type door attachments for coaction with inside door handles. It follows that the present invention is directed to a specific form of attachment which, it is believed, is novel and destined to better achieve desired ends in this line of endeavor.

More explicitly, the invention appertains to separably and adjustably connected parts, one for coaction with the door proper and the other to coact with the door handle to prevent the latter from being accidentally swung down to open a door.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the interior of an automobile door, showing standard details of construction, and also showing a safety attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional and elevatlonal view on an enlarged scale, the view being on the plane of the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one of the parts of the attachment.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a complemental part of said attachment.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views, in Figure 1, the automo- 1 Claim. (011 292-288) bile door is denoted by the numeral 6, the slidable window by the numeral 1, its operating handcrank at 8, and the ventilator panel at 9. The operating handle for the ventilator is denoted at It, and the so-called inside latch-controlling door handle, the part 2 with which we are here concerned, is denoted-by the numeral II. The

purpose 'of-the: invention is to check the downward swinging movement of said inside door handle ll, whereby to prevent same from being unknowingly depressed, and causing the door to unlatch and fly open. The means provided is a simple attachment which comprises a pair of complemental units 12 and 13. The unit 12 comprises a metal strap l4 having its upper end laterally bent as ,at l5, and its free end bent as at [6, to provide a hook. This hook is adapted to engage over the molding of the window construction of the door, as brought in Figure 2. The bill It takes a position between the glass panel and that part of the molding which surrounds the glass receiving compartment built in the door. Adjacent the bend I5, I provide a screw-threaded hole H, to accommodate a set-screw [8 which serves to hold the part, or unit [2, satisfactorily in suspending position, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The lower end of the strap is provided with a screw-threaded stud 19. The remaining or lower unit 13 also comprises a strap of metal or equivalent material 26, having an elongated slot 2! to accommodate the stud I9 and clamping nut 22. The lower end of the strap is bent up to provide a hook or stirrup 23, which, in practice, serves to permit the free end portion of the handle [I to be saddled therein.

In practice, by fastening the hanger unit l2 on the inside of the door structure, as illustrated in the drawings, by hooking the stirrup 23 beneath the free end of the handle, when the handle is in its normal door-latching position,.and then by making proper adjustment between the two parts l2 and I3 and tightening the nut 22, the attachment is ready for action. Manifestly, with the free end of the handle seated in the stirrup, accidental depressing of same to a downswinging door-unlatching position is prevented.

Since some doors are provided with inside handles which swing up, instead of down, it is obvious that by reversing the bend which defines the nook 23, an appropriate stop and safety device would be had.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as illustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufiicient to clarify th construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials and rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

An automobile door attachment for preventing accidental unlatching of an inside latch-releasing handle when once the door is closed, comprising a readily applicable and removable safety device, said device embodying an upper unit embodying an elongated .i'igid .strap, the upper end portion of said strap being bent outwardly and downwardly to provide an attaching and anchor hook suitable to coact with the stated door, the bill portion of said hook being linearly straight and parallel to the body portion of said strap, said body portion being provided with a set serewnthe lower end of the body portion iree of marginal projections and having, on one side, an outstanding screw-threaded stud, and :a second complemental unit comprising a rigid strap superimposed and sliable "and laterally swingable on .the first-named strap and .ihavin a slot, the stud extending through said slot and being provided REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

' STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 156593370 Valsvig Aug. 23, 1927 1,845,338 Queens. Feb. 16, 1932 2,240,865 Simpson May 6, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES liar Mechanics Magazine, June 3:936, page 1958.

Popular Mechanics Magazine, Nov. 1941 p. 159. 

